The Ten Best Feats

[Zaruthustran]

(no particular order)

1. Improved Init (being flat-footed sucks; acting while others are flat-footed rules)
2. Quickdraw (it's great to be able to draw and attack in the surprise round)
3. Spring Attack (the best way to avoid damage is to not be in range)
4. Leadership (did someone call for a Red Shirt?)
5. Divine Might (with a 14 or higher Cha, you get the dam bonus of rage without the - to AC, many times a day--with no fatigue)
6. TWF
7. Ambi (use these two with a large shield, bastard sword, and spiked armor. Good dam + good AC = good times)
8. Improved Critical
9. Expertise (useful when you face level-drain, Harm, and other nasty melee effects)
10. Precise Shot

 

[Voadam]

from the srd

Power attack
Combat reflexes
expert tactician (rogues particularly)
cleave
blindfighting
spring attack is good
Skill focus (for expert henchman)
Improved unarmed (for AoO while casting spells)
Improved Initiative
deflect arrow (if you have a really good reflex save only)

So get the jump on them, hit them hard and often and be able to move tactically.

edit, oops expert tactician is from the splat books

 

[Happiest_Sadist]

Power Attack
Improved Grapple/Snatch (MoTW)
Improved Critical
Weapon Specialization
Spellcasting Prodigy
Psionic Charge
Expertise
Power Critical
Precise Shot (especially for the spellcasters)
Rapid Shot

 

[Spatzimaus]

> Combat Reflexes (PHB)
> Power Attack (PHB)
> Stand Still (PsiHB)
> Improved Initiative (PHB)
> Hover (MM) - yeah, I know, not for PCs, but watching a Dragon hover is darn cool
> Spellcasting Prodigy (FR)
> Elemental Substitution (T&B)
> Leadership (DMG)
> Power Touch (PsiHB)
> Expert Tactician (S&S)

 

[Hannibal Barca]

Glad for all the responses. A couple of thoughts about the feats I've seen. It would seem that feats that are situational must be proportionately more useful than feats that are useful more often if they are to be chosen.
By situational feats I mean Combat Reflexes, Close Quarter Fighting, etc. The effect is pronounced, but the usefulness of the feat is generally limited unless one creates a fighting style around the feat (example: Combat Reflexes/Spiked Chain). Expert Tactician is quasi-situational in that is generally used when one gains initiative, but can be built upon as well with feats such as Improved Initiative and Quicker Than The Eye, a high skill check in Bluff, class features such as the Gladiator's move equivalent Bluff and the Shadow Dancer's Hide in Plain Sight, or spells such as Cat's Grace and Blink.
"Stand alone" feats such as Improved Initiative, Weapon Focus, Dragon's Toughness, etc are less spectacular but their usefullness is more reliable.
As a result I have my doubts about certain feats that are lauded so highly like Power Attack. It's usefulness wanes as the average damage a character inflicts with a hit increases, creating a kind of paradox in that it rewards the lower strength character more, especially in conjunction with a high dex character possessing the Weapon Finesse feat. True, it is a prerequisite for (imo) the more useful Cleave feat, and it has certain situational uses in overcoming hardness or damage reduction, but I'm not convinced yet.
The "stand alone" feats can be directly measured by having two identical characters face off with each having a different feat and determining by head to head matches which is better (example: Weapon Focus versus Power Attack). Unfortunately not all feats are can be analyzed in this way, and a seemingly low powered situational feat in conjunction with a feat or spell can be deadly (see Combat Reflexes/Spiked Chain above). The dichotomy is somewaht analagous to the burn and weenie decks of Magic the Gathering facing off against the combo/lock decks.
A third category of feats are those predicated on a feat chain. Whirlwind Attack is very strong, but four prerequisite feats are a lot, especially when Dodge and Mobility do not invoke protests of their being overpowered to anybody. That being said I like Whirlwind Attack, but the opportunity costs of squandering precious feats should be considered. Are Improved Initiative and Weapon Focus (two stand alone feats) together more or less useful to a character than Combat Reflexes and Expert Tactician? These I belive are the key criteria when determining a feat's usefulness aside from the natural considerations of flavor, character class, and DM campaign nuances.

 

[zorlag]

...

As I see psionic feats included, I'd say the very BEST feat is:

Resculpt Mind (trade one feat for five at almost no cost since you only need 5 defense and attack modes, rest are reduntant).

 

[Conaill]

So here's a summary of the top 10 votes so far (up to Spatzimaus' post):

Improved Initiative (7 votes)
Leadership (7)
Power Attack (7)
Spring Attack (7)
Expert Tactician (6)
Improved Critical (5)
Rapid Shot (5)
Combat Reflexes (4)
Iron Will (4)
Manyshot (4)

3 votes: Blind Fighting, Expertise, Large and In Charge, Spellcasting Prodigy, Spirited Charge, Two-Weapon Fighting, Weapon Focus, Weapon Specialization

 

[Corlon]

oooo, feats

These are in no particular order unless they say so otherwise.
1. Quicker than the eye (#1!, always #1!)(S&S)
2. Expert tactitian (no explanation, self explanitory) (S&S)
3. Hair trigger reflexes (when ya just HAVE to go first ) (QR)
4. Lightning Grab (got yer weapon, what are you gonna do about it?) (QR)
5. Riposte (...) (QR)
6. Contempitle Target (this is always fun) (QR)
7. Improved Sneak Attack (just more damage) (T&T)
8. Ranged Sneak Attack (Deep wood sniper anyone) (T&T)
9. Arterial Strike (If you die, at least they bleed to death) (S&S)
10. Quick Strike (Just some more attacks) (S&S)

These are all rouges feats because, of course, rouges are the best!

 

[RedSwan78]

Zaruthustran

Zaruthustran,

I have a question here, you posted:

5. Divine Might (with a 14 or higher Cha, you get the dam bonus of rage without the - to AC, many times a day--with no fatigue)

Uhm... I like Hehe.. might I ask for the info on this feat? (Where it comes from, the prereq's to get it, it's exact bonuses) I have a Bard with a dex of 16 and this looks interesting to me

I only have the core books (PH, DMG, MM). Also, what does Expert Tactician do?

 

[Chun-tzu]

Divine Might is from Defenders of the Faith, and can only be used by Clerics and Paladins.